


A Mark (or Two) of Love

by Cat_stiel



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, College, F/M, M/M, Platonic Soulmates, Professor Castiel (Supernatural), Romantic Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Student Dean Winchester, Student Sam Winchester, Teen Dean Winchester, Teen Sam Winchester
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-15 09:00:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29433513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cat_stiel/pseuds/Cat_stiel
Summary: Dean is nervous about getting a soulmate mark on his sixteenth birthday. What will he do if he gets one? What if he doesn't?Nothing prepares him for getting two marks. Now what does he do?
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 16
Kudos: 57





	1. The Night before Dean's 16th Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> This story is full of time jumps. Hope you enjoy! And Happy Valentines Day!!

The night before his sixteenth birthday Dean couldn't sleep. Tomorrow he would find out if he was one of the almost 50% of the world who had a soulmate. He wasn't sure if he wanted one or not.

His parents had been soul mates and after his mom, Mary, died, his dad had never been the same. Sometimes, when he was drunk, Dean's dad, John, would show Dean and Sam his soulmate mark and talk about what it had been like when he and their mom had first met. Other times he would rant against God and the universe, asking why they would create soul mates just for you to lose them.

Dean was afraid of his dad's reaction if he ended up soulmated. His dad could be unpredictable, especially when drunk. And unfortunately for Dean, he was drunk more often than not. Dean's biggest hope was that his dad would forget that tomorrow was Dean's birthday, or at least how old Dean was, and Dean could find out if he had a soulmate without that pressure.

His little brother Sam hadn't forgotten that it was Dean's sixteen. For the last month he had been pestering Dean as only a little brother could. He wanted to know how Dean felt about having a soulmate (answer: shrug), what kind of mark did he think he would get (shrug again), where did he think his mark would be, and what kind of soulmate did he think he would have (same answer for those questions too with an added "shut up Sammy"). Sam had been doing research into what the placement and size of a mark meant and constantly sharing what he learned with Dean. He was careful though. He never said a word about soul mates in front of their dad.

Given that their parents had been soul mates Dean and Sam had a statistically higher chance of having soul mates themselves. Dean didn't tell Sam but he had been doing his own research into soul mates for the last year or so. Of course most of his research was just talking to Bobby and asking questions.

Bobby was like an uncle to Dean and Sam. He had been one of the few friends their dad had managed to keep after his wife died. Bobby had admitted he had mostly stuck around to keep an eye on Dean and Sam. Dean appreciated it, especially because he knew Bobby could barely stand their dad.

It was through Bobby that Dean learned that there were two types of soul mates; romantic and platonic. His parents were a prime example of the first type. Surprisingly Bobby was actually an example of the second type. He had a platonic soulmate named Rufus. The two men didn't spend all their time together, sometimes going months between visits. But when you saw them together they were like two halves of a whole. Bobby had once described it as a deep love and trust in the other person without any messy romantic stuff. He knew that if he ever needed Rufus, Rufus would be there as soon as possible, ready to fight whatever needed fighting. And it went both ways. Personally Dean thought he would prefer a platonic soulmate over a romantic one any time. 

Bobby had also told him about the supposed significance of soul mark placement. It was thought that the closer the mark was to your heart the stronger the connection. Some people even claimed to be able to feel their soul mates through their mark. Dean didn't know about that but he bought the closer to the heart the stronger it was. Bobby and Rufus' s marks were high up on their left arms and they had a great connection. His dad's (and moms he guessed) was high on his chest, just under his throat. Dean sometimes thought it was appropriate; John's love for Mary seemed to strangle him since she'd been gone. 

The marks themselves were supposed to mean something. Bobby said the marks might not make sense at first but later after meeting your soulmate, they would make sense. His mark (and Rufus's) was a rifle and a whiskey bottle. Apparently before they realized they were soul mates, Bobby and Rufus had bonded over hunting and whiskey at a backyard BBQ of a mutual friend. Dean's parent's mark read "amor non perdidi" which translated to "a love never lost". Mary had been taking Latin in college from John's father, Henry, and had met John when he had stopped by to give his dad something. It was apparently love at first sight.

Dean glanced at his clock. It was almost midnight. He knew from Bobby that the marks appeared when you were asleep. It didn't matter if you stayed up all night and day, if you were meant to have a soulmate, the marks would appear the first time you slept after your sixteen birthday. Partly to stop delaying the inevitable and partly because he didn't want to be a wreak the next day Dean closed his eyes. Eventually he fell asleep.


	2. Dean's 16th Birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I wrote this on one of my thrift store days (the day I go see what's new) so apparently I had to put a lot about thrift stores in here. On the other hand Dean and Sam were probably thrift store pros.

Dean opened his eyes to see Sam's face inches from his. He let out a yell and instinctively threw his pillow at his brother. Sam ducked, making a face as he did. 

"What are you doing?" Dean asked angrily as he waited for his heart to settle.

"So did you get one?" Sam asked. His eyes were searching every bit of exposed skin, looking for a mark.

Dean was glad he had gone to bed with a t-shirt on. It hadn't been because of this, he always slept with a t-shirt, but it was definitely making him feel less exposed. He shoved at his brother who was now pawing at his shirt, trying to find a mark.

"Get off me Sammy!" Dean demanded. "I just woke up. I haven't checked yet." Then a thought occurred. "Where's dad?"

Sam glanced over his shoulder towards the couch. Dean could see a jean clad leg hanging over the edge. He sighed. It looked like their dad hadn't even taken the time to change before he passed out.

"Look, let me have a shower, then we'll go out for breakfast." Dean suggested quietly. 

Sam nodded and backed up enough that Dean could get out of bed. He went back to his own bed and pulled out a book to read while he waited. Dean shook his head at his brother, grabbed some clean clothes from his duffle and made his way to the bathroom.

The motel they were currently living in was nice by their normal standards. It had two beds and a pullout couch, plus a kitchenette. The bathroom even had a bathtub, not just a shower. The hot water didn't run out after 5 minutes either. 

He stripped and climbed into the shower. He kept his shower short, just long enough to come out feeling clean. Then he stepped out in front of the mirror to see if he had gained a mark.

He had. It was the coolest one he had ever seen. It looked like a star inside a circle of flames right over his heart. It seemed symbolic to him but he had no idea what it meant. He would have to ask Bobby.

He reached out with his right hand to touch it. When he did his eyes caught sight of something. He turned his shoulder to get a better look and gasped. He turned to see more.

His whole back was covered with a pair of wings. The tips of the wings even wrapped around his shoulders. He was just glad it was high enough on his arms that it would be hidden by a t-shirt.

He got dressed slowly, his mind racing. He had heard of soul mates of course but he had never heard of someone getting two soulmate marks. He wasn't even sure what it meant. More questions he would have to ask Bobby.

He finished getting ready and made sure that his soulmate marks were completely hidden. He was still deciding what to tell Sam as they left the motel room to go find some breakfast. They walked about a mile to a diner. They had been there a bunch of times. It was cheap but good and Dean was pretty sure he could use his birthday to get at least some of it free. He had a bit of money that he had squirreled away but it was only about $25. If there was anything left after their breakfast he planned to stop by a thrift store and see if they had any tapes he liked. Maybe pick up a book for Sam.

They lucked out. Their waitress was a woman named Dee. She was probably middle aged, Dean guessed and something about the brothers seemed to bring out her mothering instincts. When Sam proudly announced it was Dean's 16th birthday, and Dean acted shy, she declared that they could order anything they wanted on the house. Dean and Sam didn't want to abuse her kindness so they didn't go overboard but they did each order one of those trucker breakfasts with lots of meat and eggs for cheap. Dean also ordered one order of waffles for them to split. She brought it all out along with glasses of orange juice that they hadn't ordered and sang happy birthday for Dean. Dean put on a smile and sat through it but was glad when she left to help other customers and left Dean and Sam to their food.

They were halfway through their meal when Sam's curiosity couldn't be put off any longer. Dean had been impressed the kid had made it as long as he had. Sam had been staring at him and fidgeting for the last 5 mins.

"So do you have one?" He blurted out.

Dean had just taken a huge bit of waffles and took great pleasure making Sam wait for him to chew and swallow. Then he nodded.

Sam scowled at him then asked, "where?"

"Over my heart," Dean confessed, then grew silent. He wasn't sure why he didn't feel like telling Sam about the other mark. He thought he would wait until he had talked to Bobby. Until he had more of an idea what was going on.

"Over your heart?!" Sam shouted.

Dean shushed him and Sam flushed with embarrassment but soldiered on. "That's super rare," he told Dean. "You are going to have a strong connection with them. Do you know if it's romantic or platonic?"

Dean gave Sam a look. Everyone knew that you could tell what kind of soulmate you had until you met them. Sometimes you could guess, like with his parents translating to "a love never lost" but Dean had heard stories of people having super romantic seeming marks and it just ended up that they liked the same romance writer or something. Some people were so sure their soulmate was a romantic one that they rejected any other romantic partner only to find out it was platonic. They had missed out on good relationships because they had guessed.

Sam was already moving onto the next question. "Are you going to try to find them?"

Dean shrugged. He was still reeling from the idea he had not one but two soul mates. He hadn't been sure even wanted one to be honest. Bobby made it look fine and easy but their dad presented a different, cautionary, tale. But Sam was staring at him with those sad puppy dog eyes and Dean couldn't disappoint him. "I guess. I'm still just trying to wrap my head around the idea," he confessed. Sam looked confused so Dean added, "it's not like having, then potentially losing, a soulmate seems that appealing, after living with dad." Sam's face melted into understanding. "I think I'll talk to Bobby about it," Dean told him. "Maybe we could visit him over spring break or something."

Sam brightened at that idea. They put aside any talk about soul mates as they finished their breakfast. Dean made a half hearted attempt to pay but Dee waved him off. He did leave her $5 as a tip.

That left him $20 for the thrift store. They walked a couple blocks to get to one. It was a small thrift store, the kind run by old vollentreers and not employees. A sign outside proclaimed it was $5 bag day. Sam headed straight for the book section while Dean went to the counter to get them a couple bags. The lady there handed him two large shopping bags and told him they could have everything they fit into the bag for $5 each.

By the time he got back to Sam his brother was already holding 3 or 4 books and had barely made it past the first shelf. He dumped the books into the bag Dean gave him and was going to keep browsing but Dean stopped him. "Sammy we can get everything we can fit in the bags for 5 bucks each," Dean explained. "I want you to look for anything you need, new shoes, jacket, whatever. Stuff the bag as full as you can and if there's room at the end you can put in more books."

Sam nodded and they headed to the clothes section.

Thrift shop shopping was not like going to a department store. It took time and patience. You had to look through everything to find the one or two things you wanted. It took Dean and Sam almost an hour to fill their bags. Dean was proud of them. They each had several new shirts, pants, shoes and jackets. They had even managed to stuff things so we'll that Sam got a couple more books and Dean had three new tapes. All for $10!

Dean still had $10 left. He didn't want to spend it all if he didn't have to. It was always a good idea to have at least a couple bucks on hand. But then they walked past the movie theatre. A big sign outside proclaimed $2 Tuesday matinee. Dean was in!

He and Sam bought tickets to the movie without even checking what it was. Sam did the thing where he announced it was Dean's 16th again and the ticket girl gave them coupons for free popcorn. Dean was kinda proud of Sam's hustle. They got their popcorn and went in.

The movie was fun. It wasn't one Dean or Sam had seen before even though it was several years old. It was called Willow and was surprisingly funny for a movie that was really about two men and a baby. Dean and Sam especially liked the Brownies. It was no Star Wars or Indiana Jones (both also by George Lucus) but it was one Dean could see himself watching again.

They walked back to the motel after the movie carrying their bags of clothes with them. The motel was empty when they reached it but they had walked past their car, a 1967 Chevy impala, so Dean knew he couldn't have gone far. Probably to the bar 2 streets over. It opened around 1pm so the timing worked, Dean thought sourly. His mood picked up a bit when he saw the $20 Their dad had left with a note that just read "for dinner".

They spent a couple minutes emptying their bags and putting their new clothes in their laundry pile to wash before they wore them. Then Sam settled onto his bed with one of his new books. Dean still wanted to talk to Bobby without Sam listening in and the $20 was the perfect excuse.

"I'm going to the store to pick up dinner. Do you want to come?" Dean asked. 

Sam shook his head without looking up. Dean smiled, grabbed his jacket and went out again. The walk was quick and Dean spent it making a mental list of all the questions he wanted to ask Bobby. He spotted the payphone just outside the store and was relieved that it seemed to work. He dialed Bobby's number from memory and made the call collect. He didn't really like the idea of making Bobby pay for the call but Bobby had called him an "idjit" last time he had mentioned it. 

It took a couple rings before Bobby's gruff voice came over the line. "Hello?"

"Hey Bobby," Dean said a smile on his face.

There was a slight pause then Bobby said "Dean. Happy Birthday. How is your day going?"

Dean almost laughed. Bobby was about as good a subtle as Dean, which was not at all, but he could tell he was trying not to pry. "I got a mark today," he said, then he couldn't hold the news in any longer. "Actually Bobby, I got 2 marks."

There was a moment of silence then Bobby repeated, "two?"

Dean nodded. Then remembering Bobby couldn't see him he said "yeah."

"Describe them for me," Bobby demanded. Dean could hear rustling of paper as Bobby got something to write on. 

Dean took a deep breath. "The first one I noticed is on my chest, right over my heart. It looked like a star inside a circle of fire. The flames are on the outside." He paused to give Bobby time to write it all down. "The second one I couldn't get a really good look at but it looks like a pair of wings on my back."

"Big or small?" Bobby asked absently.

"Big," Dean confirmed. "They seem to cover my back and even wrap around my shoulders. Have you ever heard of anyone having two soulmates?"

Bobby scribbled a bit more then said "I haven't but I'll do some research. Are you guys still in Montana?"

"No, that was a couple months ago. Dad was feeling nostalgic or something. We're back in Kansas. Some small town called Eureka. I think he mostly stopped because Sam liked the name." Dean informed him.

Bobby asked a couple more questions about where they were staying, how school was going (Dean had totally forgotten about it that day), and how long Dean thought they might be in town. Dean had a suspicion that this was leading to a surprise visit from Bobby but didn't mind. It would be nice to see him. 

They hung up a couple minutes later and Dean headed into the store. He kept his shopping short. He picked up a pie, a couple frozen pizzas they could cook in the oven of their kitchenette and a premade salad for Sam. The total was just over $15 and Dean pocketed the change to add to his stash later. 

Their dad still wasn't back by the time Dean and Sam had dinner. Feeling petty Dean only saved a single slice of pizza for him. They watched another movie on the tv then got ready for bed. All in all it had been a perfect birthday.


	3. The Night Before Sam's 16th Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 4 years later...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Dean is 20, Sam is almost 16. Dean hasn't gone to college or anything because he feels someone needs to take care of Sam and their dad wont do it (just for some background).

It had been over 4 years since the night Dean lay awake wondering and fretting about getting a soulmate mark. Now it was Sam's turn. He had been a nervous wreck all week. Now it was close to midnight and he was pacing the floor. 

Dean watched him take another pass and suggested "how about a movie?"

Sam threw a bitch face in his direction and Dean just rolled his eyes. "You need to calm down and get some sleep. You know how it works."

Sam stalked over to the tv and turned it on. It was a crappy tv, in a crappy motel, in a crappy town but after several minutes of channel surfing Sam found some forgettable action movie. He settled on the bed next to Dean. They had to share this time and it was a bit of a pain. Neither of them were very small and Sam kept shooting up in height. Dean suspected that in a year Sam would be taller than him. They could have taken their dad's bed, he wasn't there that night, but they didn't know when he would be back and that was a recipe for disaster.

They were at the second commercial break when Dean felt Sam slump against him. Based on the deep breathing Dean knew that Sam was asleep. He pulled the blanket over his brother and closed his eyes. Morning would be there too soon, he knew.

Morning happened a lot sooner than Dean would have guessed. Their dad came stumbling 8n drunk around 3am. Dean watched him move around the room before falling into bed fully clothed. He waited until he heard snores come from the other bed, then got up quietly to drape a blanket over his dad. 

Sam had not woken at all when their dad had come in. Dean envied him for that. The kid could sleep through anything. He noticed that Sam had managed to kick most of the blanket off himself and grabbed it to cover him. Dean stopped mid action in shock.

There on Sam's chest, right over his heart, was a star inside a circle of flames. It was an exact match to the mark on Dean's own chest. Dean felt like he couldn't breath. He just stared. That was until Sam gave a snore and Dean snapped out of it. He finished pulling the blanket over his brother.

He felt wide awake and restless. Quietly he gathered up some clothes and slipped into the bathroom to get dressed. Then he grabbed his wallet, shoes and room key before slipping out of the room.

It was mild outside and Dean decided to take a walk to clear his head. He remembered an all night diner a couple blocks away so that's the direction he headed. As he walked he tried to wrap his head around him and Sam being soul mates.

In one way it just made sense, it just felt right. He and Sam had always been close. He thought it was just because of how they lived and the fact he had practically raised the kid. People often would tell him that siblings weren't normally that close but Dean just didn't get it. It would also maybe explain why Dean felt almost physical pain at the thought of losing touch with Sam. It was part of why Dean hadn't gone to college after graduating. He had to take care of Sam.

He had always known he had a deep, almost obsessive love for his brother. There was nothing romantic or sexual about it. But if he had to, he would die for him in a heartbeat. So really Dean had no problem having Sam as a soulmate. He was really just worried what Sam would think. Also he would finally have to show Sam his soulmate mark.

In the last 4 years Dean had managed to avoid showing anyone his soulmate marks. Even Sam didn't know what they looked like. The only person who did, other than Dean, was Bobby. Which reminded Dean that he should really call Bobby.

Luckily there was a payphone outside the diner. He dialed the familiar number and listened to it ring. After 4 or 5 rings Bobby yelled "what do you want?" into the phone.

"Hey Bobby," Dean said, ignoring his gruff tone. He realized that even with the time difference between them he had woken Bobby up too early.

There was a pause then Bobby asked "you're not in trouble, right? Sam ok?"

"I'm good, Sam's good." Dean hesitated, then blurted out what he had called Bobby about. "Sammy got a soulmate mark. He doesn't know yet. I woke up early and saw it. But Bobby," Dean took a deep breath then said "it's a star in a circle of flames, right over his heart."

There was a long pause. Dean couldn't handle it so he started talking again, releasing all the things he wanted to say. "I mean I'm glad it's him. I love Sammy; he's my brother. But I'm also worried. You know how it is, people just assume all soul mates are romantic. How are people going to act if they learn his soulmate is his brother? What if I find my second soulmate and they don't get along?" Dean finally trailed off.

"Idjit," Bobby said finally.

Dean was taken aback. Here he was pouring out his heart and Bobby's response was to call him an idjit? "What?" He said dumbly.

"You're an idjit," Bobby said again, then he elaborated. "You and Sam are going to be fine. Even if it is rough to start you always forgive each other. And of course Sam will get along with your other soulmate. They wouldn't be your soul mates if they caused you stress and resentment by not getting along. You're an idjit for worrying so much."

Dean felt his shoulders relax and a fond smile lit his face. This is why he had called Bobby. It was gruff, tough love that cut through the issues. "Thanks Bobby," he said quietly.

"Good. Now if you are done freaking out, I need more sleep." And he hung up.

Dean felt like a weight had been taken off him. He went into the diner and ordered a coffee and piece of pie as he planned what he would tell Sam. He knew he would have to probably show him the mark and it wouldn't be fair if he didn't show him the other one too. He hoped Sam would be ok with sharing his soulmate.

Dean stayed at the diner about an hour nursing his coffee before deciding to head back to the motel room. Nothing had changed since he'd left. Both Sam and their dad were fast asleep. Dean wasn't tired but it was still before 5am so he changed back to what he slept in and climbed into the bed. He closed his eyes and finally drifted back off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope people are enjoying this story. If you have read any of my other stuff you may have noticed that while I normally stick to Destiel I do hop around with story types and tropes. So one of the stories I am currently writing is a medieval fantasy Destiel fic. I'm not sure when I will be posting it because I have been writing it all longhand on paper during my work breaks and have yet to transpose it to my computer. I'm pretty happy with it so far and am about 10 or so chapters in. Anyways I just wanted to share that and you may all enjoy it if I ever get around to typing it out (seriously I am up to 35 sheets of paper).


	4. Sam's 16th Birthday

Even having taken a nap Dean woke up first. He checked the time; almost 9am. Sam never slept past 10. Dean got up, checked to make sure his dad was still alive and not drowned in his own vomit, then got dressed again. He walked back to the diner from earlier that morning and picked up two coffees to go. He thought about grabbing some breakfast too but decided to let the birthday boy decide what he wanted.

Sam was just starting to stir when Dean walked back through the door. The smell of the coffee seemed to wake him even faster, especially when Dean waved it right under his nose. Sleepy hazel eyes met Deans bright green ones.

"Happy birthday Sammy," he said, holding out a cup to his brother. "Rise and shine. I'm starving."

Sam blinked confused a couple times but took the cup. By the time he had taken several sips life and excitement had entered his eyes.

"Grab a shower, get ready," Dean suggested, "Then let's go get breakfast."

Sam nodded then bounded for the bathroom. He must have forgotten to check for a soul mates mark right away because Dean heard the shower start up. It was about 15 mins later after the shower had been turned off that Dean heard a commotion in the bathroom and Sam say "holy fuck!" The kid had finally seen his soulmate mark.

When he finally left the bathroom Sam was fully dressed. He was grinning like he had a secret. Dean smiled back but just asked " where do you want to go for breakfast?"

Sam ended up choosing a restaurant that apparently sold fancy thin pancakes called crepes. Dean wasn't sure about them but they were good. They were full of whip cream and strawberries. They also had fancy mochas instead of plain coffee. 

Before they left Dean pulled out his wallet and rummaged through it. He pulled out $100, about half of what he had won last time he had hustled pool. He handed it to Sam saying "happy birthday Sammy."

"It's Sam," Sam corrected without thinking. He stared at the money and said "this is for me?"

Dean rolled his eyes and said "of course it is. I don't see any other 16 year-old birthday boys named Sammy around."

Sam shot him a bitch face but it quickly resolved into a smile. "Thanks so much."

"What are you going to spend it on?" Dean asked.

Sam thought about it. "I think I want to save it. If I add what I've already saved I think I'm only a couple hundred bucks from buying a laptop."

Dean almost wanted to groan. That was annoyingly responsible of Sam. "If you let me use it once in a while I'll help you get the money. I've gotten better at pool."

Sam made a face, he didn't exactly approach Dean hustling at pool but he nodded. Dean promised himself that he'd get Sam the money as soon as possible. The kid deserved it.

Just like for Dean's birthday, they went to see a matinee. It was some action movie with lots of cool effects and they both really enjoyed it. It made Dean feel good to have Sam so happy. Over the last few years he had been leaning hard into the moody teenage stereotype.

After the movie they went and got a pizza to go. They walked to a park and found a picnic bench and sat down. They didn't talk as they ate, choosing to concentrate on the food. 

Dean watched Sam as they finished up the pizza. The kid had been getting more and more antsy as the silence grew. Without everything to distract him Dean knew Sam's mind was back on his soulmate mark. He let the kid squirm for another 5 mins or so before asking "what?"

Sam looked nervous but determined when he told Dean, "I got one. A soulmate mark. I have a soulmate."

Dean smiled at him encouragingly. "Yeah? Tell me about it."

Sam did. As he waxed poetic about the shape and placement of the mark, Dean fought a smile. Sam was so excited about his soulmate, Dean just hoped he wasn't disappointed when he found out it was him. 

"If you had a choice would you want a platonic or romantic Soulmate?" Dean asked when Sam paused for breath.

Sam thought about it seriously. "A romantic Soulmate sounds, well, romantic. But if I had a choice I think I'd want to be more like Bobby and Rufus. There is something cool about how they have their own lives but are still soul mates. I know if one of them died the other would be heartbroken but since their lives aren't completely tied up in each other I don't think they would turn out like dad."

Dean had never thought of it that way. He had to agree with Sam; platonic did seem better than romantic. Of course Bobby's theory was that Dean's soulmate marks were one of each. But maybe that meant Sam would keep him connected outside his romantic bubble (assuming he ever found his other soulmate).

"Can you show me?" Dean asked quietly. In some ways he felt it was unfair to ask. In his four years of having his own mark he'd never shown it to Sam, even when he'd asked. He just hoped Sam understood why when he did show him.

Sam hesitated a moment, then nodded. He pulled the neck of his shirt down until Dean could see part of the mark. It was the same as Dean remembered.

"That's awesome Sam," Dean said, meaning it. Sam grinned at him and readjusted his shirt back to normal.

Dean shrugged off his jacket, then his flannel. Sam gave him a puzzled look when Dean was down to just his t-shirt. 

"What are you doing?" Sam asked. 

"I never showed you my mark," Dean said, his voice calm despite the fact he almost felt sick with nerves. "It's only fair." Then he pulled his shirt off.

Sam's eyes immediately went to Dean's chest and the mark there. "Dean it's the same!" He said excitedly.

Dean felt a huge sense of relief at Sam's reaction. He covered it with a roll of his eyes and a sarcastic "nice observation Sherlock." Then he turned slightly. The movement hid the mark on his chest and exposed the wing on his shoulder. Sam's eyes went bid and he pushed Dean until he was standing with his back to Sam. 

"They're wings," Sam said dumbly. He touched them gently. Dean understood the urge; the feathers on the wings looked lifelike. Then Sam grabbed his shoulder and spun him around again. Dean glared at Sam for the manhandling but Sam didn't seem to notice as he exclaimed "two?! You have two soulmate marks?"

Dean put back on his shirt, feeling self conscious. He looked at Sam and saw that he didn't look mad. His expression was something closer to awe. Dean smiled tentatively at him. "Yeah."

Sam stared at him a moment longer before saying "awesome!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is having a good weekend! The sun is currently shining where I am but the forecast says rain later today and for the next week. I guess I'll just try to enjoy it while I can.
> 
> Stay safe out there!


	5. First Day of Class

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam's 18, Dean's 22, and Cas is 28 (kinda young for a doctorate but he's smart)
> 
> As some of you guessed... here they are in Stanford!

"Dean come on! We're going to be late!" Sam yelled.

Dean grabbed his keys before heading out the door. "I'm coming, I'm coming. Don't get your panties in a twist."

Sam glared at him but started leading the way down the hall of the dorm building. "I just don't want to be late for our first class. You might not care but I think it leaves a bad impression."

Sam and Dean were at Stanford. Sam had managed to get a full ride through scholarships and even Dean had found a couple. Right after Sam's birthday where they had found out they were soul mates, they had sat down and talked about their future plans. Dean wasn't really one for heart to hearts but Sam had insisted. Sam has explained his plan to get to university and become a lawyer. Dean didn't have hopes or plans like that but Sam and Bobby had helped him come up with one. Now Dean was in school with the hope to someday own his own garage. He was trying for a business degree.

He actually only had about a year or two of schooling to go. He had done a lot of the prerequisite credits online over that last two years, taking a course here or there when he had money to pay for it. The laptop Sam had bought a couple months after his 16th birthday had been instrumental in that. He felt bad at times that he seemed to use the laptop more than Sam but Sam had told him how proud he was that Dean was making it work.

When Sam had been applying for universities Dean had been right next to him applying for the same ones to transfer into. The day Sam had gotten the acceptance letter with full ride to Stanford, his first choice, and the one two days later when Dean got his own acceptance letter were some of the best days of his life. Dean had dreaded telling their dad but together, like they did almost everything, Sam and him did. Their dad had yelled at Sam for a while about abandoning his family but when Dean announced that he was going with Sam, he had gotten quiet. The next day he showed up at the motel they were currently living out of with a new (to him at least) truck. He had walked up to Dean and handed him the keys and title papers for the impala and grunted something about “needing a way to get around.” 

Dean had been ecstatic. He had always loved the car. In fact Sam used to jokingly ask Bobby if it was possible for a person to have an object as a soulmate, because, if so, the impala was Deans. Bobby had laughed and called him an idjit but had also agreed.

Now here they were in their first week of classes. Sam and Dean, for the most part, had different schedules and classes but Sam had insisted that they sign up for one class together. It was an elective, not really anything to help them in the career paths, but it was Soulmates 101. It was a once a week, three hour class and if it made Sam happy, Dean didn’t mind taking it.

As they walked across the campus Sam told him all about his first week, the classes he was taking, which ones he thought were going to be easy and which ones he was going to have to work hard in. He also told Dean about some of the people he had met so far in his classes and some of the Frosh week events. Dean had put in an appearance at a couple of them but had mostly kept his head down and was focusing on his classes. He hadn’t been in a classroom environment for over 4 years and he just wanted to get into the swing of things.

Sam was still talking, telling him about the syllabus of his english class as they entered their lecture hall. Dean stopped dead as he caught sight of one of the most handsome men he had ever seen. He was standing at the front of the class organizing papers and didn’t notice Dean staring. Sam had run into his back when Dean had abruptly stopped. He looked over Dean’s shoulder (damn little brothers who grew up too tall), saw what had caught his eye and snorted. He pushed Dean to get him moving with a “really Dean?”

Dean gave him a cheeky grin but followed Sam into the room to find seats together. Dean had come out as bisexual to Sam not long after they found out they were soulmates. Sam had kept wondering what kind of woman Dean was going to end up with and Dean had added a casual “or man.” Sam didn’t care. He just asked that the same rules applied as before, as in he didn’t want to hear the details and to put a sock or something on the door so Sam didn’t walk into anything he didn’t want to see.

Once they were seated Dean went back to staring at the man at the front of the room while Sam chatted with the students around them. The man had dark hair that was messy like he had just had sex and only run a hand through it to make it presentable. His clothes seemed a little loose, he was wearing a trenchcoat and his tie was loose. Dean wondered if he had just rolled out of bed to come here. Dean smiled. Now that was a mental image he could live with. The only thing he was stuck on was the colour of the man’s eyes. He couldn’t see them that well from so far away.

Sam nudged him again and Dean turned to glare at him. Sam rolled his eyes in return as he handed Dean the notebook and pen he had pulled out of his backpack. Dean gave him a smile and a quick “thanks Sammy” in return.

He noticed a girl had been watching Sam and seemed disappointed by the exchange between Sam and Dean. Dean caught her eye and mouthed “brother”. Her eyes lit up and she looked at Sam with renewed interest. 

“Welcome to Soulmates 101” a deep voice caught the class's attention. It was the hot man from the front of the room. “I am your professor Dr Novak. In this class we will be discussing the history, mythology and truth of soulmates. I am handing around a syllabus.” he handed a stack of papers to the closest student who took one and passed the rest on. 

“Before we go over the syllabus together let me tell you a couple things about myself. I have my doctorate in anthropology with a focus on soulmates in culture and myth. This is my first year teaching so please go easy on me.” this got a couple chuckles from the crowd. He continued “I got into soulmate research when I was 16 and woke up with my own soulmate mark. You could say it had a profound impact on me. My identical twin brother does not have a soulmate. I have spent the last several years researching history and theories to explain it.“

Dean wasn’t sure how he felt about the sexy Dr Novak having a soulmate. He hadn’t even talked to the guy yet but he felt drawn to him. He unconsciously put a hand over where his mark wrapped around his shoulder. He could swear he got a calm and soothing energy from the gesture. 

By that point the syllabus had made it to the last student. Dr Novak seemed to notice and he said “please open your syllabus so we may go over the expectations of this class.”

The next half hour or so Dr Novak read through the syllabus, expanding on what was written there and answering any questions students had about it. Sam, the keener that he was, asked several questions. Dean, on the other hand didn’t even take note, happy to just sit and listen to that low, growly voice tell him anything. 

They then moved on to the first part of class content: common knowledge about soulmates. Nothing discussed was new to Dean or Sam. It was the same stuff they had learned from Bobby. It was stuff like the types of soulmates (platonic and romantic), placement of marks and meanings behind the marks. 

At the halfway mark of the class they took a 20 min break to stretch their legs and have snacks. Dean wanted to go talk to the professor but he was surrounded by students, mostly pretty girls. Instead he took a walk around the building to stretch his legs and used the bathroom before the class started up again. 

When everyone was back from the break Dr. Novak had them split into groups and discuss their opinions on what he had talked about so far. He was giving them half an hour for it then they would go back to the course content and learn about the earliest mentions of soulmates in myth and legends.

Dean and Sam stayed in a group together but were joined by three other people; the girl who had been staring at Sam earlier Becky, a cheerful redhead Charlie and some douchebag named Bartholomew. Dean might have been a little biased against Bart because the man kept making eyes at Dr Novak. Becky, meanwhile, gave him the creeps. She kept staring at Sam and trying to touch him. Dean just hoped she didn't end up being a stalker. Charlie seemed cool.

"So what do you think of this class so far?" Charlie asked. "Pretty cool Right?"

"It's fine," Becky said dismissively. "I just can't believe he's teaching that lie about platonic soul mates."

Dean raised his eyebrows. "You don't believe in platonic soul mates?"

She scoffed "of course not. If people want to be platonic then they aren't soulmates."

"Our uncle Bobby has a platonic soulmate," Sam said stubbornly.

Becky patted his hand and said "I'm sure that's just what he told you. But it's actually romantic." She didn't move her hand away from Sam's. 

Dean could actually feel Sam's discomfort through his soulmate mark. They had figured out years ago that they could sometimes feel each other's strong emotions through their marks. Touching the mark made it clearer. They could also send back emotions by touching their marks and thinking of what they wanted the other person to feel. Dean got something similar from his other mark. He had experimented with sending emotions to his soulmate. He wasn't sure it reached them, though. He hoped so.

"I agree," Bartholomew said. "I don't think soul mates were created except to help us find our perfect mate for procreation."

Dean, Sam, and surprisingly Charlie shared disbelieving looks. "What if your soulmate is the same sex? No procreation then." Charlie asked angrily.

That sparked off a heated debate where all that was really established was that Bartholomew was homophobic, Becky was an idiot, and Charlie was Dean's new best friend. She used so many pop culture references Sam even looked lost. Dean meanwhile slipped her a paper with his number that read "best friends movie night. You and me." She smiled and took it. 

Luckily for Dean's sanity not long after that Dr Novak called the class back to order. He asked a couple students about what their groups discussed but avoided anyone from Dean's group. Smart and sexy, Dean thought. 

Dr Novak spent the last hour talking about some soulmate creation myths such as Zeus thinking humans were too powerful so he split them in half, and the Christian one that angels marked special people as being able to share their heaven. Dean wasn't really religious but he wondered how the myths and legends would have explained him.

"Any questions before I let you go?" Dr Novak asked just as the class was about to end. A few hands went up. Dr Novak pointed at one.

"You said you have a soulmate mark. Is it possible for you to show us?" A pretty girl asked.

Dr Novak sighed, looking resigned, but Dean got the impression he had expected this. "I will have to remove my shirt to do so," he informed the class. "If this is an issue for anyone please let me know." 

No one spoke up and Dr Novak started the slowest, non-sexy strip tease Dean had ever witnessed. He carefully removed his trench coat and tie, setting them aside before starting on the buttons of his dress shirt. When he was finally ready to take off his shirt he turned his back to the class. He let his shirt slip down just enough that the upper part of his back was exposed.

Dean was glad for all the gasps and murmurs of the rest of the class because they helped cover his quiet "son of a bitch." Sam elbowed him and Dean looked at him. They shared a look of amazement.

Across Dr Novak's back was a pair of wings the tips of which wrapped around his shoulders. Dean had seen those wings before; glimpses in the mirror and in the pictures Sam had taken for him. They were his soulmate mark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really glad I have all of you commenting and Kudosing my works. Sometimes I feel a bit alone (due to pandemic) then I see a comment or that someone's left a kudos. It just makes me happy that people like what I am writing. And everyone is so nice about it. There's no critiques (not really at least) just praise. You guys have really helped me get back into writing. Thank you!


	6. Soulmates 101 part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cas and Dean actually interact in this chapter!

"If you don't talk to him today I'm going to lock you out of the room." Sam threatened Dean.

They were about to walk into their fourth soul mates 101 class. Dean had not had a chance to talk to Dr Novak since the first class when he revealed his soulmate mark. Every time Dean went to talk to him there was a flock of students surrounding the man and Dean would chicken out. Sam had been supportive and sympathetic the first two weeks but by week three he had started to run out of patience. Now he was resorting to threats and guilt.

“Who does Dean need to talk to?” Charlie asked as she caught up with them. They had all become good friends since that first class and often sat together. She was like the sister they never knew they wanted.

“Dr Novak,” Sam said at the same time Dean said “no one.”

“Oh the dreamy professor?” Charlie asked.

The brothers both stared at her. They knew Charlie well enough by this point to know Dr Novak was not her type at all. She saw their looks and snorted “Gay, not blind,” she told them. “Anyways why does Dean need to talk to him?”

“Dean has an idea for the term paper but wants to run it by the professor,” Sam casually lied, coming up with a believable cover story. 

“Why don't you just stop by his office during his office hours?” Charlie suggested.

Dean shook his head. “I have classes whenever he has them. I’ve been trying to talk to him after class but he’s always surrounded. I don't want to bug him.”

“Just let him know you want to talk and he’ll find time for you,” Charlie said dismissively as they made their way to their seats. 

“Why would he do that? He doesn’t even know I exist,” Dean definitely wasn't pouting.

“Oh he knows you exist,” Charlie said with a grin.

“He doesn't even look at me during class,” Dean protested.

“That’s because every time he does and your eyes meet he loses his train of thought. I think the longest we've clocked was 5 minutes of you two staring.” She told him.

Dean looked over to Sam who confirmed it with a nod and a shrug. Well that was embarrassing. "Did anyone else notice?" He asked quietly as the room continued to fill.

Sam's face grew soft with sympathy but there was still a jerkish glint to it as he said "a few."

Dean lay his head on his arms with a groan. He only lifted his head when Dr Novak (seriously he needed to find out the man's first name) started the class. He could listen to the man all day.

Dr Novak started the class by going over some myths and legends of profound bonds between soul mates, both platonic and romantic. These bonds were often portrayed as given the soul mates the ability to read each other's minds or at least feel their emotions. 

He had just finished explaining that when a student, one Dean didn't know the name of, spoke up. "That's so stupid," he said condescendingly. "You can't feel emotions through the soulmate mark."

Dr Novak raised an eyebrow in a domineering way that did things for Dean. But he just replied calmly, "it is said that the placement and size of the mark might explain the bond. The closer to the heart it is the stronger the bond is supposed to be."

The same student rolled his eyes. "People just say that to feel special. A soulmate mark is a soulmate mark no matter the size or place."

Dean was willing to bet a hundred dollars that the man's mark, if he had one, was small and far from his heart. 

"I can sometimes feel my soul mate's emotions," Sam mused out loud. When he realized the room had gone quiet and was staring at him he ducked his head sheepishly but said "I mean, I'll be reading a book or something and suddenly I'm happy for no reason, or mad and I realize it's not coming from me. Plus my soulmate mark will tingle."

"Tingle?" Dean whispered with a laugh. It was a funny sounding word. Sam gave him a quick bitch face.

"Where is your mark?" Asked Dr Novak.

"Over my heart," Sam replied, gesturing to his chest.

Becky, who was sitting right in front of Sam, turned around and lunged over the desk. She started pawing at his shirts saying "let me see." 

Sam looked horrified and Dean was ready to pick her up and toss her across the room, when Dr Novak was suddenly there like an avenging angel. He loomed over them looking far larger than he was and in a loud voice demanded "Miss Rosen release Mr Winchester at once."

Becky let go of Sam and slumped back into her seat. Dr Novak raised his eyebrow again and said "gather your things and leave. You are no longer permitted in my class."

Becky looked shocked. "I just wanted to see his mark. You showed us yours," she said her voice trembling.

"Me choosing to display my mark after getting consent from the class to do so is in no way equivalent to you attacking another student and trying to tear his clothes off. The fact you see no difference concerns me on many levels," Dr Novak replied his voice cold. "Now I do believe I told you to leave." He turned his back on Becky and walked back to the front of the class.

"I think I'm in love," Dean said under his breath, watching him walk away. Between his low growly voice, his dom brow, and his confidence, Dean had a hard on.

Charlie snorted at his words. 

The class watched in silence as Becky gathered her stuff and fled out the door. Once she was gone Dr Novak gave the class a 10 minute break. The room went from silent to loud like a switch was flipped as everyone started talking about what happened. 

Dean turned to Sam to check on him. Sam looked rumpled and a little freaked out but Dean could tell he would be alright. That didn't stop him from fussing over him for a couple minutes. Dean could feel Dr Novak's eyes on him and realized this was a perfect opportunity to talk to him. Something must have shown on his face or been passed through their marks because Sam suddenly looked up and said "You should talk to him."

Dean nodded and stood up. He was glad to see that the professor was currently alone, not surrounded by his normal fans. He made his way to the front of the class quickly, wanting time to talk to Dr Novak before the class started up again. 

"What can I do for you, Mr Winchester?" Dr Novak asked as Dean got close.

Dean was busy staring into his eyes to answer. They were bluer than Dean had thought. It took almost a full minute before Dean realized he was staring into Dr Novak's eyes like a dumbass and that the man had asked him a question. "um, I just want to start by saying thanks for stepping when you did. I was about to do something, not sure what but it probably wouldn't have ended as well." Dean said rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"No it likely would have escalated if you had intervened," Novak agreed.

Dean nodded. "Anyways thanks for saving Sammy." Then Dean took a deep breath and asked the question he really had come over to ask. "Can I talk to you after class today?"

Novak tilted his head like a confused bird. "If you have questions or need assistance with class I am happy to help during my office hours."

"I have classes during your office hours," Dean told him, "or I would have already stopped by. I promise I won't take more than 20 or 30 mins."

Dr Novak thought about it, then said "I will be in my office after class for an hour or so if you wish to talk. Now if you would head back to your seat I am going to resume the lesson."

"How'd it go?" Sam asked as Dean slipped back into his seat.

"Meeting him after class," Dean told him. 

Sam grinned and gave him a good natured punch to the shoulder as Dr Novak started teaching again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So my cat stole a potato chip right from my hand today. Did I accidently buy a dog in cat form? I call her my puppy cat or my kitty dog. Meanwhile my other cat is full of proper catty distain for everything I do.
> 
> Hope you are having a good weekend!


	7. Soulmates 101 part 3 (The Talk)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah for talking! Seriously it took me a while to get here but I hope it was worth it. I put out these last three chapters pretty quickly because they needed to be together (in my mind at least). I still have another couple chapters to this story that will be coming out later. Also they might change this from general to mature... I'm not sure yet.

Dean shifted his weight from foot to foot as he stared at Dr Novak's office door. Am, who was standing beside him, watched as Dean lifted then lowered his hand twice without knocking. Finally with a roll of his eyes and a "seriously Dean" he knocked for Dean. 

The door swung open moments later to reveal Dr Novak. He looked mildly surprised to see Sam standing there with Dean but he invited them both in.

Sam had thought Dean should go alone but Dean had argued back saying “One of the first things he’s going to learn about me as his soulmate is that I am a package deal. Might as well get all the introductions out of the way.” Dean didn't also say that he was nervous and wanted Sam there for moral support. 

“Come in Mr Winchesters. What can I do for you?” Dr Novak asked as he gestured towards some chairs and sat down behind his desk.

The whole way over Dean had been thinking of smooth ways to tell the man that they were soulmates but when he opened his mouth he heard himself ask “have you ever heard of anyone having more than one soulmate?”

He didn’t even have to look over to know Sam was shooting him a bitchface, but Dr Novak just looked confused by the question, tilting his head in that cute way of his. “I'm not sure I understand,” he said carefully.

“Look,” Dean said as he pulled off his jacket, flannel and was about to pull off his shirt. At the last moment he remembered what Novak had said about getting permission when he had taken off his shirt before. “Do you mind if I take this off?” Dean asked, gesturing to his shirt.  
Still looking confused Novak shook his head. 

Dean pulled off his shirt. Novak’s eyes were almost immediately drawn to the soulmate mark over Dean’s heart. He apparently remembered what Sam had said about the placement of his own mark because he looked to Sam who nodded and pulled his shirt collar down enough to show part of his mark. While Novak was slightly distracted Dean took a deep breath and turned his back to the man.

Novak gasped when he looked back to Dean. Out of the corner of his eye Dean saw him reach out a hand to touch him but stop short. 

“May I touch your back, Mr Winchester?” Novak asked politely.

Dean snorted. “You don’t need to ask,” Dean told him. “And call me Dean. We’re soulmates after all.”

“One should always get consent before touching another,” Novak said distractedly. “And please feel free to call me Castiel. At least outside the classroom.”

“Alright Cas,” Dean said cheekily. 

He felt Cas's light touch tracing the feathers of the wings. "Incredible," he said quietly. "I've seen mine in pictures and mirrors but it is amazing to see the detail up close."

"Yeah. I only really know what mine look like from the pictures Sammy took," Dean told him.

"Speaking of Sam," the great cockblocker known as Sam said loudly. Cas and Dean turned to look at him. He held out his hand to Cas saying, "I'm Sam, the other half of your other half."

Cas shook his hand but said with confusion "I already know who you are."

Sam laughed a little nervously but explained, "yes, but we were never formally introduced." 

Cas nodded gravely. "Do you also have two soul mates?" He asked Sam.

Sam smiled. "No, I've just got Dean. He's enough soulmate for me."

Cas got a crestfallen look and asked "are you two…?" He trailed off.

It took a moment for Dean to understand what Cas was asking. Before he could say anything Sam started laughing. "Ew, no. Dean and I are just brothers. Maybe closer then some but not that close."

Cas's face brightened. "Platonic soul mates. They make up a quarter or less of all soul mates."

Dean had put his shirt back on while Sam and Cas had been talking. When Cas noticed he seemed disappointed by it. Dean gave him a wink but kept to the current subject of conversation. "Yeah, platonic isn't what first comes to mind when people say soul mates. That's why Sam and I don't go around telling people about our matching marks. That girl Becky that you kicked out today, which was awesome by the way, in the first class kept saying there was no such thing as platonic soulmates. That anyone who says it is lying."

"Yes, she has expressed those views in several of the assignments already. I had planned to speak to her about it. Now I won't have to."

"Are you going to get in trouble for kicking her out?" Dean worried. 

Cas gave Dean a small reassuring smile. "She attacked your brother in front of many witnesses. If he wanted Sam could have charges filed against her. The school will support the decision to remove her from the class."

Sam looked thoughtful. "I don't know about charges but it might be enough to get a restraining order. She has started stalking me."

Dean whirled on his brother. "You never told me that! I’m going to destroy her!”

Sam gave him a look and said “and this is why. You are going to leave Becky alone and I am going to get a restraining order so she has to leave me alone.”

Dean glared at Sam but in the back of his mind he was already making plans to talk to Charlie. Charlie was good with computers. She could do something to make Becky’s life miserable. The idea cheered Dean up.

He turned to Cas. “So what do you want to do now? Maybe get some pie? We could ditch this loser” he gestured at Sam “and make it a date.”

Cas looked thoughtful but said “I think it would be better if we refrained from dating for now.”

Dean felt his heart sink. He couldn’t believe his soulmate, one of them at least, was rejecting him. 

Cas must have felt something through the mark or seen something on his face because he was quick to reassure Dean, “I would love nothing more than to go on a ‘date’ with you” (finger quotes, actual finger quotes Dean thought) “but I am still your professor. It would not be ethical.”

“But your soulmates,” Sam protested. “A lot of allowances are made for soulmates. There are even laws protecting them at some level.”

Cas gave Sam a slight smile. “That is true and if it came to it I could use those protections to justify my behaviour. But as you might know if I did that both Dean and I would be required to prove that our marks matched. If that happens Dean will also be revealing that he has two soulmate marks. Given the way you have both protected your secret so far I doubt you want it exposed so easily when we can prevent that by keeping quiet about our relationship until the end of the semester.”

Dean brightened, “so there’s still going to be a relationship? You are not going to make me wait until the end of exams?”

Cas raised an eyebrow at him in that dom way that did things for Dean and, in a tone of great patience, said “I would very much like to get to know my soulmate better. We just need to be careful and quiet about it. I also may get a colleague to mark the rest of both of your assignments for the rest of the semester.” he said thoughtfully

Dean didn’t get it but Sam said “smart. That way you can't be accused of favoritism down the road.” 

Dean shook his head. How had he ended up with two smarty pants for soul mates? He was just happy that they got along. He had always been worried how it would go having two soulmates, no matter how Bobby had tried to reassure him. Now he felt like everything would work out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I think I mentioned in another chapter that I have a story that I have been writing out by hand. I haven't finished it yet but I realized I have over 10 chapters and I really need to get to typing it up so at there very least I don't lose everything if I accidently misplace my papers. So that is one of my new goals. It will still be a while before it's ready to read (there's the typing, editing, ect) but I hope people enjoy it when I do get there.


	8. Planning for the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 4 years later   
> Dean is 26  
> Sam 22  
> Cas 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the original end to the story, but then I got sappy and started writing another chapter. Also the rating of the story changes here(a little less conversation, a little more action) (not much though).

Dean rubbed at his chest absently as he took a cup of coffee from Cas. Cas noticed the movement. 

"Is it Sam?" He asked, gesturing to Dean's chest.

"Yeah, dude needs to chill out. We all know he's going to do fine today." Dean said as he tried, and possibly failed, to send good relaxing vibes at his brother. "He's one of the smartest guys I know. How could they not want him."

Today was Sam's interview to get into law school. Dean personally thought it was just a formality. Sam was smart. He had gotten 174 on the SAT. But that didn't stop him from freaking out about it.

"Is he coming for dinner tonight?" Cas asked, sitting down with his own cup of coffee.

Dean shook his head. "He has plans with Jess tonight. I think that's the other reason he's so nervous."

Cas frowned. "Why would that make him nervous? They have been dating over two years."

"Yeah but he's planning on telling her the truth about his soulmate tonight. Depending on how it goes I might have to be available for a shirtless discussion." Dean said with an eyebrow wag.

Cas lifted an eyebrow of his own in that dom way Dean loved so much. "I know you are being deliberately provocative but I find the idea of you being shirtless in front of others displeasing."

Dean grinned at him. "Possessive bastard," he said with no real heat. They both knew Dean was just as possessive. Luckily they both loved it.

Cas looked at the clock on the wall. "I should be going," he said, draining his cup then taking it to the sink. "Are you going in to work today?"

Dean was working at a garage in the area. The plan was to save up money, gain skills and when Sam was all done law school they would all find a place to settle. None of them really wanted to be stuck in a big city long term. But those decisions would be made together. Once they decided, Dean wanted to start his own garage.

"No, I took the day off. I knew Sam would be a nervous wreck and I don't need to screw anything up because I can't concentrate." Dean told him as he finished his own coffee and went to join Cas near the sink.

"Well I only have one class this morning then a couple hours off office hours. I should be back early this afternoon. If you still need something to keep your mind off Sam's nerves I'm sure we can think of something then." Cas said with a heated look.

Dean grinned at him. "I will be ready and waiting."

Cas's look became even more heated. Dean was already planning the photos he would send Cas during his office hours. He was thinking panties might have to be involved. "Well, don't you have to get going," he teased Cas. "Wouldn't want to be late."

Cas gave him a suspicious look but nodded. He moved around the kitchen pouring himself coffee into a travel mug (one Dean had gotten him, it was covered in cartoon bees), gathering snacks and a small lunch. 

Dean followed him as Cas headed to the door where his briefcase was waiting. He put his snacks inside and finished getting ready. Finally he was pulling on his tan trench coat and was ready to go. 

Dean pulled him for a quick kiss. "Have a good day at work honey," Dean said in his best 1950s housewife impression. 

Cas gave him another kiss then was out the door.

Those moments with Cas had served as a distraction but with him gone Dean was left with the weight of Sam's worry on his chest. He checked the time and decided just to call him. There were still a couple hours to the interview and Sam needed to calm the fuck down.

The phone rang a couple times before he heard a woman's voice answer "Sam Winchester's phone."

"Hey Jess," Dean said brightly. "Is Sam around."

She didn't answer but moments later Sam's annoyed voice came over the phone "what do you want Dean."

Dean reminded himself that Sam was under a lot of stress and didn't snap back. "Hey Sammy. I was sitting at home having a quiet morning when suddenly my heart started racing. After checking myself for signs of a heart attack I realized it's not me, it's you. How's your morning going?" Dean deliberately kept his voice light and teasing. He wasn't upset with Sam, he was just worried.

Sam took a deep breath then in a much calmer voice confessed, "I'm freaking out."

Dean chuckled. "Yeah I figured that out."

Sam gave a small laugh too. "I've just been going over interview questions and answers with Jess all morning. At this point I don't know if it's helping or making things worse."

"You'll be fine," Dean reassured him. "Cas says so too." He hadn't but he would have if he had known Dean was calling Sam. "And just remember, this isn't your only option. You have other interviews lined up. You are going to law school no matter what."

"But Stanford is my dream school," Sam reminded him. "And if I don't get in here and end up somewhere else what then? Are you, Cas, maybe Jess just going to move with me?"

"Of course I would. Cas too. There's really nothing keeping us here. To me home is where the soulmate is." Dean said. He didn't see the issue. He had lived everywhere in the states. To him home was his brother and now Cas. A city and a house were just bonuses.

"Ahhh," Sam said, slightly mockingly. "That's so sweet. Didn't know you had it in you."

"Shut up, bitch. No chick flick moments." Dean said glad No one was around to see how red he was.

"Jerk," Sam said in response. Dean could hear the smile in his voice. "Pretty sure you called me just to have this chick flick moment."

They talked a while longer. Sam told Dean about the restaurant he had gotten a reservation at for his dinner that night with Jess. He was almost as nervous about that as his interview. Dean scoffed at that. He started by reminding Sam that Jess was awesome and ended by saying if she didn't accept him as he was then she wasn't the girl for Sam. 

By the time they hung up Dean could tell Sam was feeling a lot better. The prickly feeling he had been getting through his soulmate mark was gone. He knew it would probably be back throughout the day, but at least Sam wasn't worrying himself sick before his interview.

Dean spent this morning doing some chores and bill paying. Cas, Sam and him shared rent on a three bedroom, two bath apartment. Sam had been spending the last few nights at Jess's place but normally it was just the three of them. They had turned one of the bedrooms, the one in the middle into an office. It made lots of sense given that Sam was a student and Cas a professor. The real reason was to give Sam a one room buffer from having to hear Cas and Dean get it on. 

For all that it was three guys living together, it wasn't very dirty. Dean and Sam had grown up moving around so much they knew keeping your stuff neat and put away meant you didn't lose it. Cas was just a neat person. Dean sometimes joked that if cleanliness was next to godliness then Cas was an angel. Of course anytime he could refer to Cas as an angel he did. Between the wings for a soulmate mark and his name Castiel meaning angel of Thursday, angel just seemed appropriate.

His chores and bills didn't take that long and soon Dean was bored. He almost regretted not going into work, but he had needed a break. Plus it could be dangerous working on cars when he was that distracted. So instead Dean pulled out his Star Wars movies and settled into the couch.

He started getting texts from Cas as soon as his class was over. It started with him checking in on Dean and moved to funny things his students had said. It was perfect. Between the movie and the texts Dean could almost ignore Sam's rising panic. 

Right around the time he was finishing A New Hope Dean felt a spike of panic from Sam. He checked his watch and saw that it was about 10 mins before Sam’s interview. He was probably panicking on the way, or more likely from the waiting room, before he went in. Dean sent him a “good luck” text. He didn’t get anything in reply but he didn’t expect to. He also spent a couple minutes trying to send good calming vibes Sam’s direction. He thought maybe it helped a little.

He pulled out his phone again. ‘Sam’s in his interview’ he texted Cas. ‘when do you get home?’

A moment later his phone chimed. ‘I have another hour of office hours.’

‘Can’t you get off early?’ Dean sent, then chuckled at the idea of Cas getting off in his office. That chuckle was short-lived as Dean’s imagination took over and suddenly Dean wasn’t sure why they had never gotten it on in Cas’s office before. He would have to talk to Cas about that.

‘I think you are the one who wants to “get off early” ‘ Cas replied. 

Dean laughed. Cas came across all polite, proper, and nerdy but he could also be confident, assertive, and sexy. They weren’t full into the Dom/Sub lifestyle but they did stray into the kinkier side of things sometimes and they had both found that they liked when Cas took charge. Cas theorized that it was partly due to Dean craving structure and direction in his life thanks to his crappy childhood. Dean had responded that Cas had better keep his psychoanalyzing out of the bedroom if he wanted any piece of Dean. Cas had since kept his mouth shut on the subject.

‘Maybe,’ Dean responded. ‘I just remember someone promising to distract me this afternoon.’

‘And how do you propose I do that?’ Cas texted.

Dean grinned and settled in for some good old fashioned sexting. By the time Cas’s office hours were over both men were worked up, there were several new dick pics on Dean’s phone and he was wondering if he should just jump Cas as soon as he was through the door. He liked that idea and went to get himself ready.

When Cas walked through the door half hour later Dean was waiting for him, wearing nothing but a pair of green panties that matched his eyes. Cas, a normal neat freak, dropped all his things in the entryway, grabbed Dean and hauled him in for a rough kiss. Dean let himself be manhandled as Cas steered him through the apartment towards their bedroom. 

An hour later, when Dean finally got his breath back, he checked his phone to see if Sam had texted him about the interview. He had; a short text saying ‘I think it was good’. Dean rolled his eyes of course it was good, the school would be lucky to have Sam. He sent that back and put his phone aside to settle back into bed.

Cas pulled him in close. The man was a cuddler. “Do you feel properly distracted now?” Cas asked, his normally low voice even lower. 

“I don’t know,” Dean teased. “Give me an hour or so and maybe I’ll need some more distracting.”

Cas chuckled.

Dean was just glad that they had figured out early into Cas and Dean dating that none of his excitement or heart racing was felt by Sam through their soulmate marks. Basically as soon as the blood started running south the brothers’ bond was reduced to a vague sense of happiness. Cas and Dean however could practically make a feedback loop of pleasure if they put their minds to it. Cas theorized that it showed the functional differences between romantic and platonic, plus kept things from being awkward between platonic soulmates. Dean and Sam were just glad it worked that way. 

While Dean and Cas lay in bed they talked. Dean told him about Sam’s worry about them uprooting their lives if he had to go to school somewhere else. Like Dean had predicted, Cas had scoffed at the idea. He had only ended up at Stanford to teach because his twin, Jimmy, had wanted to go to school there then Cas had just stayed after he got his doctorate. He wasn’t really all that tied to the place; it was just somewhere to work and teach. Jimmy had since moved to Pontiac, Illinois, gotten married, had a daughter, and sold ad space on AM radio.

They also made plans for the upcoming Thanksgiving. They were hoping to go to Sioux Falls and have thanksgiving with Bobby. Cas and Bobby had hit it off the first time they met and sometimes Dean thought if they broke up (never going to happen but you know if) Bobby would keep Cas instead of Dean. As soon as they were in a room together they were talking about research they had done into soulmates and other nerdy stuff. Sam could barely even follow it. Dean loved it though. It made him all warm and fuzzy to have his family getting along.

Speaking of family, neither Dean or Sam had heard from their dad since they had left for college 4 years ago. Bobby still had some contact with him and could at least tell them he was alive but that was about it. It didn’t matter, he had never been much of a father. Bobby was more of a dad to them than John ever was.

They were eating dinner a few hours later when Dean got such a burst of joy through his soulmate mark it made him drop his fork. He started laughing as Cas looked on in confusion. “I think his talk with Jess went ok,” Dean explained rubbing his chest and thinking soothing thoughts.

Cas smiled. “I am glad,” he said. “I wonder if she would like to join us for Thanksgiving this year?”

Dean chuckled. “Yeah she still hasn’t met Bobby.”

A few minutes later Dean’s phone rang. Predictably it was Sam sharing his good news and wondering if he could bring Jess by to see Dean’s marks and ask questions. Dean and Cas both said yes. Then Dean waited with one soulmate for the other to bring his girlfriend home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have started to slow process of getting my handwritten story typed up. The good news is that there is speech to text so I am just reading it out loud and letting my computer do the work. The bad news is it gets lots of things wrong and includes no punctuation or paragraphs. There is a lot of editing involved. Also I have a tendency to awkward laugh when reading it. Sigh. But It will happen... eventually. That said I haven't even finished writing the story.
> 
> In other news The weather is getting nice(ish) here and we are no allowed to have groups of 10 socially distancing outside, so I might be bringing back outdoor movie nights soon. A chance to hangout with my family and neighbours. I'm kinda excited.
> 
> Have a great weekend. Stay safe out there!


End file.
